Meet our Partners

Governmental

The European Union has recognised the important role sport plays in education, culture, social inclusion and public health within the European Society. Some of our activities within our EU Member States are kindly supported by the European Union

Organisations and Corporate Foundations

The International Sports Press Association was established in Paris, in 1924, as L'Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive. The officially approved abbreviation of the name of the Association is AIPS and its headquarters are based in Lausanne, Switzerland. AIPS is an association of 156 National Sports Journalists' Associations worldwide, consisting of professional sports journalists working in print or electronic media and professional sports photographers.

Lionbridge is honoured to join the family of Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia sponsors this year. By donating the translation services required for the Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia website, Lionbridge helps to ensure all content is available in multiple languages, including Russian, French, German, Polish, Turkish, Spanish and Portuguese.

Through its Community Affairs programme, Microsoft has entered into a significant partnership with Special Olympics by donating a suite of key software products to Special Olympics. Microsoft’s generous support enables the National Programmes in Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia to work more effectively and communicate more efficiently. Microsoft also supports Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia by encouraging and facilitating its employees across 25 countries to volunteer with Special Olympics.

CMS Cameron McKenna has chosen Special Olympics as its charity of the year between May 2011 and May 2013 supporting programmes in Great Britain, Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Kiev (Ukraine), Prague (Czech Republic) and Warsaw (Poland).

Sporting Federations

Special Olympics European Basketball Week is the flagship event of the FIBA Europe / Special Olympics Europe Eurasia (SOEE) partnership that was established in May 2004 with the aim of developing basketball for players with intellectual disabilities. Since then, the number of Special Olympics players in the region has increased from 13,000 to 55,000 players. Copy of Proclamation signed 18 May 2004.

FIFA’s support of Special Olympics is through its Football for Hope programme. In 2007 FIFA partnered with Special Olympics to launch the Global Football Initiative which aims to utilise the visibility and reach of the world's most popular sport and to raise the necessary funds to significantly expand Special Olympics football participation on every continent.

UEFA (The Union of European Football Associations) has a long-standing partnership is being maintained with SOEE, which promotes football for players with learning difficulties. UEFA represents the national football associations of Europe, runs Europewide national and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those competitions.

Euroleague, one of the most competitive basketball leagues in Europe has committed to promote the Special Olympics movement during the 2009/2010 season. Under the slogan 'Basketball for Everyone', Euroleague will use the visibility of the league, players and teams to promote opportunities in basketball for people with intellectual disabilities.

ETBF signed a partnership agreement with SOEE on March 20, 2010. One of way in which the ETBF are supporting SOEE is through demonstration events during European and World Championships, with the first taking place during the World Male Championships in Munich, Germany from August 11-22, 2010.

UK Premier League Club, Tottenham Hotspur in 2010 became the UK’s first Global Football Ambassador for the Special Olympics movement. In this role Tottenham Hotspur are seeking to involve supporters, coaches and partners as part of the promotion of inclusion for people with learning disability in sport.

European Athletics is one of the six Area Associations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). European Athletics is a European non-governmental non-profit organisation. Currently European Athletics has 50 Member Federations. The vision and mission of European Athletics is to lead, inspire and equip the highest number of Europeans to enable them to form a loyal relationship with athletics for life.

The UEG counts 47 national member federations. With membership of 10 million gymnasts, the UEG represents quite different facets of European gymnastics: from Olympic sports to gymnastics for all. The Union provides high-level sport in the four Olympic disciplines and the three non-Olympic disciplines, but also leisure sport with offers for all age groups, from toddlers to senior citizens. The EUG also takes responsibility for hosting international events, galas and festivals.

LEN – the governing body of 50 national European Swimming Federations, has officially partnered with Special Olympics to develop swimming opportunities for aquatics athletes with intellectual disabilities. The announcement was made on 3 September 2006 in Patras, Greece. As an initial step in the partnership, LEN hosted a Special Olympics aquatics demonstration during the European Swimming Championships in Budapest. Following this first SO demonstration similar opportunities were offered and accepted by LEN and LOC in the next long pool and short pool European Championships.

Tennis Europe, comprising of 49 European member nations, is the largest regional association of the sport's governing body, the International Tennis Federation. Based in Basel, Switzerland, the organisation takes an active role in all aspects of the European game, executing tasks delegated by the ITF, and also by organizing a number of competitions and events independently from the ITF, such as European Tennis Championships.

International Floorball Federation (IFF) is the head organisation of world floorball (innebandy, salibandy, unihockey). Floorball is a fast growing sport played indoors with "plastic" sticks. The IFF, was founded by Sweden Finland and Switzerland 1986. The IFF has 54 Member Associations. IFF is a full member of IOC, an ordinary member of GAISF and cooperates with FISU.

The European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) is the FIVB supporting institution responsible for governing 55 National Federations throughout Europe and is recognized as such by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The CEV has the authority and responsibility for organizing all European competitions in Volleyball and Beach Volleyball.

Non Profits

Since 2001, the Lions Clubs International Foundation's generous support has made it possible to expand Special Olympics' Opening Eyes initiative globally. The contribution not only maintains and improves all aspects of the initiative, but also helps provide volunteer support to the organization.

Partnership between Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia and The Rosetta Foundation will allow Special Oypmics Programmes across the region to access vital information in their native languagesSpecial Olympics Europe/Eurasia is proud of the partnership with The Rosetta Foundation. The Rosetta Foundation translates key Special Olympics documents into 14 European languages. Strategy and policy documents, healthcare guidelines, sports rules and coaching guides are just some of the material that is made accessible to Special Olympics National Programmes in up to 58 countries through this partnership.